In the Presence of Mine Enemies by Edward L. Ayers tells the story of the Civil War not as we usually hear it, from generals and presidents. Instead, he follows the experiences of Franklin county in Pennsylvania and Augusta county in Virginia. It makes the war more personal, as he shows how North and South begin to hate each other, and the dead as not statistics but as obituaries in their local newspaper. My only complaint is that the book ends in 1863, before the battle of Gettysburg. It makes the story seem half-finished.

Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Rebecca Thayer
Rating:  Highly Recommended.